Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Wow...it's hard to believe it's March! Spring is right around the corner (I hope), and March brings with it a very fun, and very green celebration --St. Paddy's day! I'm not Irish (100% Dutch), but that doesn't mean I don't wish for a little luck of the Irish. This year, I've joined a fabulous group of bloggers to help bring one lucky reader some of that luck in the form of a great giveaway. I'll explain more in just a bit...first let me show this year's rendition of my ode to green edibles.

My latest obsession is candied citrus peel. Seriously. It started with a little grapefruit peel experimentation. I happen to dislike grapefruit with a passion. Bitter and awful. But the peel? Simmered in juice and sugar until it's syrupy and then rolled in more sugar....holy yum! From there I went to orange, then lemon, and now...you guessed it....I needed something green, so candied lime peel was on the agenda.

The key to keeping the bitterness at bay is to carefully avoid the pith.

Now, I've always been more of a chocolate lover than a citrus lover. It seems that people are usually divided between the two camps when it comes to dessert. Then, I combined the two. Oh my! Dark chocolate and orange is a given...a simply fabulous and classic combination. But dark chocolate and lime? The best!

I decided on a dark chocolate bark, mostly because of how easy it is. The candied lime is the star, of course, but I decided to add some pistachio and some roasted coconut. The resulting candy isn't as "green" as I had hoped, but flavor is just so worth it.

Instructions

Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices of peel from the limes, taking care to avoid the white pith. Julienne the shaved peels into 1/8" strips.

Juice the limes and add enough water to make 3/4 cup. Combine the juice and 1/2 cup sugar in a small non-reactive saucepan. Stir in the peel. Heat over medium heat until the mixture just comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is syrupy and the peels are translucent.

Drain the peels, reserving the syrup for another use, if desired. Toss the peels with 1/4 cup sugar, then transfer them to a sheet of parchment paper; spread out and allow to dry for at least 30 minutes.

Bring 1-inch of water in a medium-sized pot to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat to medium-low. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure that the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir the chips until completely melted and smooth. With an offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly on the prepared parchment lined cookie sheet to a 1/4 –inch thickness. Sprinkle the candied lime peels, the coconut chips, and the pistachio nuts evenly over the chocolate. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Break into pieces. Store covered in a cool area, or refrigerate.

As if lime infused chocolate wasn't exciting enough, take a look at what you could win--$100 PayPal cash and a Keurig! There are so many chances...simply enter through the Rafflecopter widget! The contest will run through March 17th. How lucky is that?

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and you must be 18 years or older to enter. Winner will win $100 PayPal Cash and a Keurig K45 Elite Brewer ($100 value).

Giveaway sponsored by the blogs listed above and is no way affiliated with Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter. You must have a valid email address to enter. Giveaway runs through 3/17/15. A winner will be chosen and emailed within 48 hours. You have 48 hours to respond to said email or a new winner will be chosen. No purchase necessary to enter, void where prohibited. For full rules, see details in the form.

The Original Dutch Baker

My Heritage

On September 17, 1944, my father, Joost Stapelbroek, was delivering bread by bicycle in the Dutch countryside. He looked up in the sky and to his amazement, he saw the 101st Aireborne Division descending into his Nazi-occupied country to begin Operation Market-Garden and to begin the liberation of Holland. His admiration of those wonderful Screaming Eagles led to his love of all things American and ultimately to his decision to relocate his family to this fabulous country.